The year 2018 in Japanese music.
Number ones Oricon number-one albums Oricon number-one singles Hot 100 number-one singles
Awards 60th Japan Record Awards 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Japan
Albums released
January Date Album Artist Genre Labels 1 Best Generation Generations from Exile Tribe J-pop Rhythm Zone 2 Westival Johnny's West J-pop Johnny's Entertainment 3 Jack in the Box Shuta Sueyoshi Rap Avex Trax10 The Museum III Nana Mizuki J-pop / Anison King Records Boku Dake no Kimi (Under Super Best) Nogizaka46 J-pop Sony Music Japan 17 Everybody!! WANIMA Punk rock / Pop punk UnbordeVioletPentagonJ-popCube Entertainment Japan 24 Bokutachi wa, Ano Hi no Yoake wo Shitteiru AKB48 J-pop King Records31 Countdown Exo J-pop Avex Trax Killer Tune Shikane yo Golden Bomber Rock / Pop punk / EDM Zany Zap Shiori Goto: Best Shiori Niiyama J-pop / Pop rock Being
February Date Album Artist Genre Labels7 Hatachi no Morning Musume Morning Musume J-pop Zetima Digital Native Yasutaka Nakata Future bass / EDM Unborde Aio Piano Ai Otsuka J-pop Avex Trax14 World Domination Band-Maid Hard rock Crown Stones Watashi Kono Mama de Ii no kana BoA J-pop Avex Trax #5 Ling Tosite Sigure Post-hardcore / Indie rock Sony Music Japan Honey Scandal Pop rock / Alternative rock Epic Records Japan XYZ=repainting Sexy Zone J-pop Pony CanyonRiriRiriR&B / EDMSony Music Associated Records21 Time Leo Ieiri J-pop / Pop rock Colourful Records I Juju J-pop / New wave / Jazz Sony Music Japan Evolve to Love Kokia J-pop / Folk Victor Entertainment28 Deen The Best Forever Complete Singles+ Deen J-pop / Pop rock Epic Records Japan And Koda Kumi J-pop / Urban / R&B Rhythm ZoneBTOB Japan Best Album 2014-2017 ～1096 Days～BtoBJ-popCube Entertainment JapanYoru, Carmen no ShishuuKiyoharuRockTriad
March Date Album Artist Genre Labels7 You Mao Abe J-pop / Pop rock Pony Canyon Cocoon Androp Alternative rock / Hard rock / Indie rock Zen Music Best Daichi Miura R&B / Dance / J-pop Sonic Groove14 Reason of Black Color Ame no Parade Indie rock / Alternative rock Speedstar Records Spotlight Flower Flower Rock Sony Music Japan Flyways Moumoon J-pop Avex Trax Koki Aisare Stance Sawa Electropop / Trance / IDM Spacy RecordsNo.0Buck-TickIndie rock / Alternative rockVictor EntertainmentSome DreamsEarphonesJ-popEvil Line Records21 Sang Kamijo Symphonic metal / Power metal Sherow Artist Society Epcotia NEWS J-pop Johnny's Entertainment True Woman Nokko J-pop / House / Bossa nova Universal Sigma Label Play Masaki Suda J-pop Epic Records Japan28 Best Hit AKG 2 Asian Kung-Fu Generation Indie rock / Alternative rock Ki/oon Music Highway Star Exile The Second J-pop / Dance / R&B / Hip hop Rhythm Zone World Atlas Fhána J-pop / Anison Lantis G.R.N.D. Garnidelia Power pop / Power rock / Synth-pop Sacra Music Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 8 Koda Kumi Drum and bass / Dubstep / House Rhythm Zone Beat & Roses Mitsuhiro Oikawa J-pop / Kayōkyoku Victor Entertainment Sakanazukan Sakanaction Alternative rock / New wave / Indie rock NF Records
April Date Album Artist Genre Labels 4 Big Yell Yuzu J-pop Senha & Co. No Time Jun. K J-pop Epic Records Japan 11 UreD Greeeen Pop rock Zen Music Haru to Shura Haru Nemuri Yuming kara no, Koi no Uta. Yumi Matsutoya J-pop EMI RecordsThe Empire Strikes Start!!EmpireJ-popAvex Trax 18 Revenant Mary's Blood Heavy metal Tokuma Japan CommunicationsShinee The Best From Now OnShineeJ-popEMI Records 25 Bunriha no Natsu Nariaki Obukuro R&B / J-pop / PBR&B Epic Records JapanPieceMonsta XJ-popUniversal Music JapanOtonoeWagakki BandJ-pop / Folk / Heavy metalAvex TraxMagic HourMaaya UchidaJ-popPony Canyon
May Date Album Artist Genre Labels 2 Hybrid Funk Tsuyoshi Domoto Neo-soul Johnny's Entertainment 9 Magic Exo-CBX J-pop Avex Trax 23 Chain NCT 127 J-pop Avex TraxKyō Kara Watashitachi wa: GFriend 1st BestGfriendJ-popKing Records
June Date Album Artist Genre Labels 6 Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Original Soundtrack Joe Hisaishi Soundtrack Avex Entertainment Battle Against Damnation Lovebites Power metal / Thrash metal Victor Entertainment Chasing the Horizon Man with a Mission Rap rock / Electro-rock Sony Music Records 13 Ninth The Gazette Gothic metal / Metalcore / Alternative metal Sony Music Records Kisses and Kills The Oral Cigarettes Alternative rock / Indie rock A-Sketch 17 Galapagos Wednesday Campanella Art pop / Hip house / Tropical house Warner Music Japan 19 Tomorrow TVXQ J-pop / Dance-pop Avex Trax20Hashiridasu ShunkanHiragana Keyakizaka46J-pop / Dance-popSony Music Records 27 Tetsuya Komuro Archives "T" Various Artists J-pop Avex Trax Tetsuya Komuro Archives "K" J-pop Avex Trax Hatsukoi Hikaru Utada J-pop / Soul / R&B Epic Records Japan
July Date Album Artist Genre Labels 4 #Cookie Jar Red Velvet J-pop Avex Trax
August Date Album Artist Genre Labels 1 Legend S: Baptism XX Babymetal Kawaii metal / J-pop / Heavy metal Toy's FactoryGraciaMari HamadaJ-pop / Heavy metalVictor Entertainment 15 Future Pop Perfume J-pop / Electropop / EDM / Future bass Universal J 22 Sense or Love Hey! Say! JUMP J-pop J Storm DNA Koda Kumi J-pop / Urban / R&B / Electropop Rhythm Zone29ShinePentagonJ-popCube Entertainment Japan
September Date Album Artist Genre Labels5Empire OriginalsEmpireJ-popAvex Trax 12 BDZ Twice J-pop / Electropop Warner Music Japan 22 Last Waltz in Tokyo World's End Girlfriend Contemporary classical / Post-rock Virgin Babylon Records 26 The Insulated World Dir En Grey Avant-garde metal / Progressive metal Fire Wall Div. / SMEJ Japamyu Kyary Pamyu Pamyu J-pop / Electropop / EDM / Eurodance / Bubblegum Unborde272PM Awards Selection2PMPopEpic Records Japan
October Date Album Artist Genre Labels3RUNTofubeatsJ-popUnborde 10 qp Ichiko Aoba Contemporary folk Victor Entertainment Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō Mai Kuraki J-pop / R&B / Dance-pop Northern Music 17 Jijitsujo Reol Electropop / Hip-Hop Victor Entertainment Unlock Day6 Pop rock / Ballad Warner Music Japan
November Date Album Artist Genre Labels14Tadashii Itsuwari Kara no KishōZutomayoJ-popEMI Records 16 Heir to Despair Sigh Avant-garde metal / Progressive metal Candlelight Records21Sleepless in BrooklynAlexandrosRockUniversal J / RX-Records 28 Taemin Taemin J-pop EMI Records / Universal Music
December Date Album Artist Genre Labels 5 Hometown Asian Kung-Fu Generation Indie rock / Alternative rock Ki/oon Records Clockwork Immortality Lovebites Power metal / Thrash metal Victor EntertainmentCheersLee Hong-giJ-popWarner Music JapanMusic MuscleMaki OhguroJ-popBeing Inc.21HologramKeyJ-popEMI Records 26 BDZ - Repackage Twice J-pop / Electropop Warner Music Japan
Debuting and returning artists Debuting groups
April Day6 dps Dreamcatcher Empire EXID Fantastics from Exile Tribe First Place GFriend Gugudan Hachimitsu Rocket King & Prince Mamamoo Myteen Neo Japonism Raise A Suilen Red Velvet Seventeen Spira Spica STU48 Uijin Yoshimotozaka46 Zutomayo
Debuting soloists
Aina the End Shuta Sueyoshi Ryuji Imaichi Taiki Yamazaki Minori Suzuki Mai Fuchigami Misako Uno Ryucheru Rika Tachibana Kiyoe Yoshioka Kaori Ishihara Shigeru Joshima Haruka Yamazaki Yuma Uchida Makoto Furukawa Ryusei Yokohama Yuka Ozaki Reona Chiaki Satō Yuka Ozaki Akari Nanawo Chiaki Ito Meimi Tamura Halca Taemin Key
Returning from hiatus
Ayami Mutō Eir Aoi KAT-TUN Ami Wajima Ellegarden Hilcrhyme Ikimonogakari Charisma.com
Disbanding and retiring artists Disbanding
Idol Renaissance La PomPon Mix Speaker's,Inc. GEM Chelsy Cheeky Parade Chatmonchy Ciao Bella Cinquetti Tackey & Tsubasa Passpo Babyraids Japan Vanilla Beans X21 Aqua Timez Secret Tahiti
Retiring
Tetsuya Komuro Namie Amuro Chiyo Okumura Hideaki Takizawa (Tackey & Tsubasa) Hitomi Yoshizawa
Going on hiatus
Charisma.com Folks Tsubasa Imai (Tackey & Tsubasa) Chris Hart Mao Denda Jero Yumi Hara Keito Okamoto (Hey! Say! JUMP) Nobuo Uematsu Shiori Niiyama Rice Sads
Deaths January 26 – Junji Yayoshi, guitarist and record producer (b. 1968) January 31 – Itokin, MC and track maker (b. 1979) April 24 – Doji Morita, singer-songwriter (b. 1953) April 27 – Yukiji Asaoka, singer and actress (b. 1935) May 16 – Hideki Saijo, singer and actor (b. 1955) October 12 – Takehisa Kosugi, composer and violinist (b. 1938) November 14 – Masahiro Sayama, jazz pianist (b. 1953) November 25 – Norio Maeda, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1934)
See also 2018 in Japan 2018 in Japanese television List of Japanese films of 2018
References